Fire-escape



(No Model.)

B. A. GOSTIGAN. FIRE ESCAPE.

Patented Sept. 12

a ad,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD A. OOSTIGAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.77264,065, datedSeptember 12, 1882.

Application filed April 3, 1882.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. (Jos'rIeAN, ofBoston, in the county ofSuffolk, of the State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Fire-Escapes; andI do hereby declare the same to hedescribed in the following specification and represented in theaccompanying drawings, of which-- Figure 1 is a front elevation, Fig. 2a side view, and Fig. 3 avertical and median section, of a fire-escapeof my invention as applied to the front of a building, the nature of thesaid invention being defined in the claims hereinafter presented.

In such drawings, A denotes the front wall of a building, it having, asusual, windows B to each of the stories. Immediately above two nextadjacent windows of each story, except the upper one, there is hinged tothefront face of the wall a platform, 0, having a hatchway or opening,a, through it at its middle, as shown in Fig. 3 and also in Fig. 4,which isatop view of such platform. At their outer corners and neartheir middles these plat-forms are connected by four vertical rods, D DDD, jointed to them,so as to admit of the set of platforms beingsimultaneously turned from their horizontal up into vertical positionsagainst the front of the building. Other rods, E E, arranged as shownand hinged at their upper ends to the building, extend downward to therods D D, which go through eyes b b at the lower ends of the said rodsE, the said eyes being horizontal and extended underneath the upperplatform atits outer corners.

Above the rods E, and applied to the front of the building, is a shaftor Windlass, F, provided at one end with a grooved wheel, c. There isalso fixed on the shaft or Windlass at its middle a ratchet or toothedgear, d.

Pivoted to the front wall, above the gear d, is a knee-lever, G,provided at its middle with a pawl or auxiliary arm, 0, to engage withthe gear cl. Chains f extend from the arms of the lever G to and throughguide-eyes h, and thence downward, as represented. Furthermore, fr omthe two median rods D D wire ropes t 13 lead and are fastened to theshaft or Windlass.

To the upper platform, at its middle and near its outer edge, a ladder,H, is jointed at its foot,-and extends up to and through a staple, I,projecting from the cornice of the wall,

(No model.)

thTs ladder being to enable a person to escape from the roof of thebuilding to the uppermost platform.

To the front olthe opening through each platform, except the lowest ofthe three, a ladder, K, is jointed at its upper part,and extendsdownward in manner as' represented, and at its foot is jointed to theouter edge of a small but auxiliary platform, L, supported by andadapted to slide vertically in staple-guides k k, projecting from thebuilding.

I To each main platform,and adapted to slide vertically in itssustaining-rods D, is a metallic rod or guard, M, which, when theplatform is down to a horizontal position, is supported at a suitabledistance above it by chains l l, extending from the said guard to thefront wall of the building and fastened thereto.

By having a chain, m, fixed to the wheel 0 and wound about such, anddepending therefrom to the guard or sidewalk in front of the building,thewindlass,onthechain beingdrawn downward,will be revolved, whereby theropes connecting such Windlass with the uppermost platform will be woundupon the Windlass and all the platforms and ladders will be raised intovertical positions or flattened against the front wall of. the building.In this way the fire-escape, when not wanted for use, can be drawnupward against the front of the building, so as to project but littletherefrom. In such case the pawl is to be drawninto engagement with theratchet-wheel, and with such will retain the fire-escape in its foldedor turnedup state. On taking hold of one of the chains f and drawing itdownward the pawl may be moved laterally out of the wheel, so as toenable the fire-escape to drop down into a position for use.

, From the above it will be seen that in case of a building providedwith such a fire-escape 1. The combination of the series of two. or moreplatforms, 0, hingedto the front of the building, with theirsupporting-rods D and E,.

and with one or more auxiliary platforms, L, and their ladders K, allbeing adapted and to operate substantially as set forth.

2. The combination ofthe ladder H, leading from the uppermost platformto the cornice, and through a guide or staple, as described, with theseries of two or more platforms, 0, hinged to the front of the building,and with the supporting-rods D E and one or more auxiliaryplatforms,L,and their ladders K, all being adapted and to operatesubstantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a platform hinged to the front of a building witha ladder leading upward or downward from such platform, and hingedthereto, so as with it to be capable of folding upward and flatwiseagainst the front of such building.

4. The combination of one or more platforms 0, hinged to the front of abuilding, with one or moreladders, applied as described, and withmechanism for supporting said platform or platforms when horizontahandmechanism for elevating such platform or platforms and ladder or laddersin manner and flatwise against the said building as set forth.

5. The combination of the knee-lever and its pawl and the operativechains of the latter with the Windlass and its ratchet 0r gear wheelapplied to the front of a building, and the folding fire-escape,composed of one or more ladders and one or more platforms, arranged andapplied substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the sliding guard and its sustaining-chains withthe building and a platform hinged thereto and provided withsupporting-rods, as set forth,snch guard being to slide on such rods, asexplained.

EDWARD A. COSTIGA-N.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, E. B. PRATT.

